


First Date

by yoliravioli



Category: Original Work
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-16
Updated: 2018-02-16
Packaged: 2019-03-19 08:12:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13700451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yoliravioli/pseuds/yoliravioli
Summary: Emerald starts at a new job, a movie/restaurant, and after a week is convinced to order her lunch for her break not long after starting work.





	First Date

**Author's Note:**

> Strange how this one came out; at first a thought which turned into a fanfic which soon (a paragraph or two later) turned into an Original Work instead.
> 
> I was going to, somehow, express myself through Naruto but just didn't seem right. The beginning of this story is true and then it's all fiction after gaining the new job.
> 
> The movie/restaurant is based off Studio Movie Grill, I never actually name it but it does exist. Pretty cool, went there for a date..... (TMI)
> 
> One more thing, /I didn't use much detail and even did an edit during and after writing it, I didn't want to add any/. This is my /first/ Original Story that I'm posting /ever/.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Emerald, twenty-five years old, was called a few days ago for an interview.

For the past few weeks at her job, at a grocery store, the manager that she was cool with,  _ friends  _ even, had left her with more and more work than what she was able paid do. She didn’t say anything at first, believing that it would last for a couple of weeks but then those couple of weeks turned into months. She told her manager about her struggle to make the department look decent and was told that she’s a great worker, so she could manage to be alone for four out of five days.

She knew then, it was time to go.

Looking up openings in different things, warehouses, dealerships, and even museums, Emerald liked the idea on trying something different. She had worked at a grocery store for nearly six years, earning great practice with customer service and learning of a computer system, she would have a good chance at finding another job easy.

Two months  _ later _ , privately  _ celebrating  _ her seventh year while getting ready for work, she got a call from a Hiring Manager to a movie with a built in restaurant.

For an  _ interview _ .

Emerald spoke to the person, agreeing to the time and place, and went to work late but with a smile for the first time in months. Her manager had noticed, “Happy to be at work, huh?” Leaving him with four carts of trash and a small hallway with cardboard on both sides, ready to fall should someone touch it or move to fast creating an avalanche. She looked around, her smile slightly dimming before thinking, “I’m getting out of here.”

She smiled the whole day, even with upset customers voicing their disappointment and managers telling her to help them, having her stay an hour or two longer at work.

A few days later, on her day off, Emerald arrived at the building early; the entire time, her hands shaking, her stomach fluttering with nervous, and her breath coming out unsteady.

She arrived thirty minutes early.

She parked in the back of the parking lot, raised the volume on the radio, attempting to calm her nervous through her strange taste in music. She quickly skips her slow and depressing songs, “Why do they pop up when I don’t need them?!” she hisses under her breath as she skipped thirty songs.

At ten minutes before the interview, she made sure that she had everything she might need and left the car, stopping halfway to the building to lock the car before turning back and walking in with shaking hands again. “You’re okay, just try and think about it,” she whispered to herself, nodding to everyone that looked up at her, “you get accepted here you leave them.” Steadying herself, her hands stopped shaking and her breathing evened, but her stomach still shifted uneasily.

Nearly an hour later, she walks out with both the Hiring Manager and Manager, all three are happy of the result. “So, when is the soonest that you can start?” asks the Hiring manager.

The Manager of the place nods, holding open the door for them that leads to the main room in the building. “I’ll have to put in my two weeks notice as soon as I can at my other job,” she smiles at the relief of not having to stay there much longer, “I can come by before my shifts there or on my days off to start working here, if that’s okay?” Emerald smiles at the two of them, seeing that they look at one another before nodding. “Great!”

She quickly pulls up her schedule on her phone and tells them around what time she can come by to start her training; a few minutes later she’s walking out of the building and waving to her new Managers as she walks to her car. Outside the building she starts to cough at the smoke in the air as she passes a car to get to her’s. She sees the person with his eyes closed smoking with the windows down and low music playing, he’s mouthing the words between smoking. With a shake of her head, she smiles again to herself as she gets ready to leave. Turning on the car, she synced her phone to her car through Bluetooth and called her parents to tell them the good news. She didn’t see the man watching her from his car, hearing her since she still had the volume high as she’s on the phone.

When she goes back to  _ other _ job, two copies of a paper in her hands as she walks upstairs to the Manager's’ Office. Taking a deep breath she hopes that they don’t start to go against her, start to say bad things about her should she use them as a reference should she need to change jobs again in the future. Walking in she spots the Store Manager sitting at the computer, talking to someone on the phone, and the Receptionist typing away with piles of paper surrounding her in neat stacks. Nodding to the Store Manager she makes her way to the Receptionist, waiting to get her attention away from the screen for a minute to had over the paper. Emerald shifts the paper from hand to hand as she dries her hands on her dark jeans, taking deep breaths when she hands the paper over.

Its silent for a minute, the note isn’t long on the paper just an official two week notice, signed with a date and her name with her reason.

The Receptionist looked at the paper for another moment before getting up and walking over to the Store Manager to show it to him before returning to her desk and calling her Department Manager, telling him to come upstairs for Emerald. For her.  _ Because _ of her. “Take a seat,” the Receptionist points to the stiff wooden chairs a few feet away, typing again on the computer before going towards the large printer, waiting for sheets and sheets of paperwork out and handing them to Emerald.

The Store Manager gets off the phone a couple of minutes later and reads the paper left on his desk, a second later her Department Manager is walking in with a smile and greets her just as the Store Manager looks up in shock. “What’s the meaning of this?”

Her Department Manager looks at him in confusion and is handed the paper, “Emerald?”

“I told you I was looking for somewhere else to work,” she says softly, her eyes firm on her choice, “I told you I’m ready to move on from here.”

“And I told you that you’re a great worker!” her Department Manager cries out, “You were going to get promoted! Your name is on the list for  _ this year _ , everyone is excited about it, Emerald!”

She started to shake her head, “ _ If _ I get the promotion, the workload will only get worse and I won’t have an excuse about it, no reason not to do overtime to get it done. That’s not what I want.”

The Managers looked at her in shock and disappointment, “I guess we were wrong about you,” the Store Manager says, “you’re  _ not _ great if you’re quitting so easily.”

She looks at her Department Manager to say something but he just stares at her paper as if it were a joke. “Quiet frankly, I don’t care what you think about me,  _ sir _ ,” they looked at her, “I did and do my job more than should for what I know and do for the store. I just get more and more and  _ more _ work to do as I do  _ any _ work you give me. I’m tired, this job sucks the life out of me.  _ Thinking _ of coming here sucks the life out of me, I’m burnt out. I’m done, it’s time I leave.”

“You sure?” Her Department Manager asks, looking her in the eyes, “This is what you want?”

“What I  _ want  _ is to become a writer or a known editor, I  _ like _ working here. What I  _ need _ to do is leave, my time here is up.” She leaves a few minutes later, having signed some papers and writing on why she is leaving and heads down to her department to start her shift thirty minutes late.

Her Department Manager gives her a run down without much excitement; Emerald tells her Department Manager that she’s thankful for having met him and worked under him, pulling her out of her shell to work here and to learn her physical and mental limits. He is quiet, nodding to her, and he leaves just as quietly. The rest of her shift, she tells her friends/co-workers about her two weeks and her customers about her leaving. They all say that they’ll miss her and understand on her leaving; her co-workers say that she could just transfer to their department but she reminds them on the amount of times she was denied in her seven years.

The next day, she goes to her new job dressed in uniform of a plain black button down shirt and pants with black shoes. Parking in the back of the building, Emerald nervously makes her way toward the building. So nervous she gets herself lost as she looks for the Manager when she bumps into someone. “I’m so sorry!” she reaches out to the person she walked into, looking at him she remembers him from the previous day smoking in the car.

“It’s cool, you new?” he asks, his dark eyes watching her.

“Uh, yeah, I was looking for Bob, the Manager, I think?” she says, “I’m not great with names really.” She gives a nervous chuckle, “Do-do you know where he might be? He told me to go to him when I come in today,” she looks up at him and takes a step back, not at all comfortable with him being taller than her and so close.

“Yeah, told me to keep an eye out for you,” he nods behind him, he turns on his heels and walks off, not caring if she follows him.

“Oh, thanks!” she hurries after him, “I’m Emerald by the way,” she smiles at him, noticing the nod he gives her with no name in return. She looks around the hallway, taking note that they’re going to the back of the building and turn into a hallway she had passed when first walking in. He stops abruptly and knocks on the door to the side, “So close to the back,” she looks back down the hall they came down, “thanks for bringing me here-” she turns back around to see him walking away.

_ “Come in!” _ she opens the door, still staring at the guy that had helped her find the way. When she walks in she’s greeted by a couple more people with the Manager, Jeff is his name apparently. Whoops.

Arriving at the new job at eight am she leaves four hours later, having been introduced to  _ everyone _ in the place, she found out that the guy that helped her was named Alexander, she was showed what everyone did and how they did it. Today was just an introduction to the business, the next time that she would be back would be in a couple of days when she was off from her other job,  _ then _ she would start to learn by hand. She goes home for an hour before getting ready for her other job, which other department Managers she had become friends with tell her how they’ll miss her and wish her well.

The last two weeks at the other job she’s becomes a little sentimental, her Department Manager doesn’t chat with her so much now, only to keep her updated on what is going on in the store or department. She can’t help but feel slightly bad that he’s done so much for her and she just leaves for something else, but she knows she’s doing right for herself. She had given him seven years of her hard work, dedication and loyalty and she didn’t get much back from him if she thinks hard about it.

On her last day, she went on break with her co-workers from different departments, “The Last Meal” she calls it before clocking out the last time. When she leaves at midnight, she gets and gives hugs to people who helped her and who she helped in return. Emerald leaves with tears in her eyes and promises to keep in contact.

Three weeks at her new job old habits die hard. Emerald still likes a quiet break, still argues with her co-workers, and does not like people getting too close to her which makes it a bit hard and awkward when taking orders. When Emerald takes her break, she usually brings her lunch and something to read, a book or something off her phone, a couple of other new hires sit with her. “You can buy your lunch here, you know? It’s so good!” Jenny bites into her salad, sighing as she eats.

Bonny nods as she unwraps her sandwich with fried pickles, “You start to crave it when customers order it.”

A week later Emerald caves when she runs late and isn’t able to make her lunch for the day; knowing the chef, Jacob, she asks if he could make her something. “I was wondering when you would come along, Em.,” he smirks, resting his arms over the counter, “What can I get you, Sweets?” Smiling at the name she makes her order, “No red onion and extra cheese?” She nods, “Alright, right now or later?”

“Right now, if you have time of course,” Emerald said, “if you don’t that’s fine!”

He waved her off, “It’ll be out in a few.” He talked to her as he made her burger, smiling when he got her to laugh. “Still having trouble getting used to being here?” Jacob watched Alexander walk into the kitchen, eyeing Emerald.

Emerald sighed, not noticing Alexander enter the room, “A bit, I’m not that comfortable yet,” she shrugged it off, giving Jacob a uncertain smile.

“You’ll get used to it, Sweets,” he smiles at her, sliding the plate over to her, “enjoy your break before the others go in the room. I know how much you like the quiet,” he winks at her. Alexander slides on his apron and hairnet, watching Emerald when she leaves, “You hear anything about her?” Alexander shakes his head, “Good.”

A few days later Emerald goes back to the kitchen for lunch and sees that Jacob is busy between a few orders and is about to leave, “You need something?” She jumps when she sees Alexander walking into the kitchen, he raises an eyebrow when Emerald has a hand pressed to her chest. “You get scared easily?”

“Yes,” she huffs out, “got a problem with that?” she dares him.

He smirks at her and grabs his apron and hairnet, “What do you need?”

“Lunch,” she mutters, “I ran out of ham for a sandwich,” Emerald looks away with a faint blush on her face.

He ties the apron on, looking at her, “What do you want?”

Emerald looks back, “It’s okay! I’ll just-”

“You’re wasting your break, what do you want?”

She looked at him, “Cheeseburger, extra cheese and no red onion,” she answers quickly. He nods to her, goes to the kitchen and starts to make her lunch, a few minutes later he passes her a plate with her burger, “Thanks.” She looks up and gives him a small smile, he sees it and gives a small one back before telling her to leave, pointing with a knife that was nearby.

A month working at the new job and a new habit is created, twice a week Emerald would order her lunch and, strangely, Alexander would go on break with her. Not that he would admit it. At first they sat on opposite sides of the room before sitting on tables across from one another. “You don’t talk much, do you?” He says one day.

She looks up from her phone, “Pot,” she points to herself, “kettle,” she points to him.

“Touche,” he nods.

Another day they sit at tables across from one another, “Where did you work before?” today he had a sandwich with fried pickles.

Emerald looks up at Alexander, chewing thoughtfully from her burger, “A grocery store,” Alexander raised a dark eyebrow, “seven years there, I was only going to stay there a few months but I was comfortable there until recently.” She swallowed her bite, “Loved it there too.”

“Why leave then?” he asked, placing the sandwich down to cross his arms, giving his attention to her.

Emerald shrugged, “It became too much,” she sighed, “just because you’re a ‘great’ worker doesn’t mean you can do two or three person’s job alone.” Alexander nodded in understanding, “What about you?”

Alexander looked away, grabbing his sandwich and continued to eat it. The room was silent between them, any noise that would filter its way into the room would come from the movies around and above them. “First worked at a small restaurant before coming here,” Alexander says softly, gathering his trash, “I’m Jacob’s assistant until I finish my degree.”

“Oh,” Emerald watched as Alexander got up ready to leave, she glanced at the clock on the far wall, “there’s still ten minutes, Alex.” He looked at her and nodded, he left moments later, throwing away his trash as he walked out of the room. “Later then,” Emerald sighed, she settled back in her seat and finished her lunch, reading on her phone, trying to ignore the small empty feeling of getting the cold shoulder.

A week later, Emerald had chosen to make her lunch for the whole week, not stopping by in the kitchen unless it was for a customer’s order. She sat in the break room, listening to some music and staring at a blank wall, when Alexander sat on the seat across from her. He watched her for a minute before he started to eat, “I usually like to eat alone, Alex.”

He nodded, chewing thoughtfully before swallowing, “I know.”

Emerald sighed and pulled out her headphones, “Did I say something to offend you or something?” she leaned over the table, her lunch half eaten.

“No,” Alex replied softly, “just no one asks about me like that. It’s a first.” Emerald pulled back, a blush lightly covering her cheeks, “I like to eat alone too, yet I missed eating with you.” He looked at her, a small smile appearing on his face when he saw her smile, her blush deepening more.

“Same,” she whispers.

The next day they greet one another during break, having arranged it, and sat together on the same table. However, this day turned out to be really different for them as a couple of other co-workers had decided to join them, not only on their break, but at their table. “See? I  _ told _ you they would be here  _ together _ !” Jenny voiced loudly to Bonny who was not two feet behind her.

“Unbelievable!” Bonny sat to one side of Emerald and Alexander, Jenny sitting on the other side. “How did you get  _ him _ to sit with you, Emmy?” Emerald’s eye gave a small twitch, she smiled it off with a shrug; Alexander saw it and gave a snort, gaining the girls’ attention. “So,” Bonny leans towards Alexander, “I  _ hear _ that you’re single.” Jenny nods quickly, both of their eyes are wide open, ready for something juicy.

Emerald leans back in her chair, confusion on her face as she wonders why she’s so angry with the two girls. Yes, they barged their way into her lunch with Alexander. Yes, they’re using this time to see if there’s any fresh gossip to gain from him. Yes, she’s upset that they’re so  _ close _ to him when they have no right to do so. Strange. She ate the rest of her lunch, eyes glancing at the other two girls before locking eyes with Alexander.

Apparently Jenny and Bonny never noticed that Alexander and Emerald we having their own silent conversation right in front of them. When their break had ended, Jenny and Bonny wandered off, still talking about one thing or another, and Emerald and Alexander laughed. Their break had been ruined but they still enjoyed themselves.

Emerald didn’t notice the way Alexander looked at her shortly after that, the excited and nervous look that filled his eyes when he saw her. She never noticed how he would clench his hands together or hide them behind his back or stuff in his pockets when she was within feet of him. Never noticed when he would look at her and only her in a crowded room, seeking her attention even when they’re at their busiest day. Jacob gave Alexander a slight shove to the shoulder, having caught him following her movements as she left the kitchen with a customer’s order. “Just ask, I doubt she’ll notice the looks.”

From that first interruption of their lunch together, Alexander and Emerald had chosen to have lunch in the theater as it had tables for the customers to eat while watching a movie. They only told those that wouldn’t blab where they went, as they wanted some privacy with one another. One night, both surprising one another as they walked in at the same time, Emerald was walking out way passed her scheduled time when she came across Alexander. Leaning against the building just next to the back door, smoking while looking up at the sky. “What’re you doing?”  Emerald stepped away from the door, as she was almost hit with someone leaving.

Apparently Emerald had startled him as he slightly choked on the smoke he was breathing out, she let out a small laugh. Having taken a few minutes to catch his breath, with a glare sent her way as she patted his back quite heavily, he answered with a scratchy voice. “Waiting for you,” he tossed the bud on the ground and stepped on it, putting it out, “You take forever, you know.”

“Well  _ excuse me _ for working,” Emerald started to walk off towards the parking lot, looking to her side when Alexander walked instep with her, “Since when do you smoke?”

They nodded to those that were in their car as they passed them, “Only when I have the need  of some encouragement.” Alexander answered softly, “I wanted to ask you something.”

Emerald looked at him, “Which is why you waited for me?” she said slowly,  leaning away from him as they continued to walk to, she assumed, her car.

Alexander nodded, “Yeah,” their eyes locked in a stare; both stopped walking, having reached Emerald’s car, when he finally asked. “Do you want to meet outside of work?” mentally Alexander was rooting to himself since his voice was calm and steady, while he physically shoved his hands in his pockets since they were shaking hard.

Emerald unlocked her car, keeping quiet as she thought of an answer to his question. Does she want to see him  _ outside _ of work? Would that mean something with him, with her? It took a few minutes for her to realize that Alexander was still waiting, but was now looking away from her now. Emerald imagined, for just a moment, just a second, what it would be like to be alone with him without anyone from work bothering them. Without worried  _ about  _ work afterwards. Her heart started to beat faster, her own hands shaking in excitement and nerves; she grabbed the car door, taking a slow and deep breath and spoke. “I love chocolate,” Alexander turned to her, shock on his face, “I love The Chocolate Bar, meet me there tomorrow afternoon.”

“I work tomorrow morning,” he responded quickly, fighting a stupidly large smile on his face.

She smiled, not caring at who saw, “I know and I’m off tomorrow, I’ll be waiting for you.” With that, she got in her car, not looking at him as she started the car and left. Giggling like crazy when she left the parking lot. At a red light Emerald connected her phone to her car through BlueTooth and called her friends to tell them that she won’t be able to make it to lunch the next day.

It was near four in the afternoon the next day, Emerald dressed in casual clothes with a quickly filling basket of chocolate. Every few seconds, or when the door would ding open, she would look at the door waiting for Alexander. And each time he wasn’t there, the more and more depressed and disappointed she became.

An hour later, and two over filled baskets later, Emerald stood in the middle of the check out line, with a perfect view of the front window and door. Moving forward a couple of feet in line when the front door was yanked open and Alexander’s head peared in, looking around quickly; as he glanced at the checkout line, their eyes met for a second before he pulled himself back out. A moment later his head popped back in, eyes wide, and walked in like nothing had happened. People stared at him, curious as to what he was and is doing. Stopping in front of Emerald, he gave a small glare that had a relieved look in his eyes. “Do you know how many Chocolate Bars there are? Twelve! You never said which one we were meeting at-” a cough came from behind them, the older man nodding towards the empty counter.

“Sorry,” Emerald grabbed Alexander’s front shirt, pulling him with her as she backed out of the line.

“-never even said what  _ time _ we were to meet!” Alexander went with her, not fighting the move, except he took another step towards her. “I missed you, even knowing that I was going to see you today,  _ somehow _ . I missed you, Em.”

Emerald’s face started to turn red, “We don’t have each other’s number, do we?” she gasped, resting her head on his shoulder as she groaned, having just realized it.

Alexander laughed, wrapping his arms around her waist, keeping her close to him. She looked at him, confusion on her face; without thinking, or just not caring, he tilted his head down and kissed her, not going slow as to give her a chance to move away. He just kissed her, hoping that she’ll kiss him back.

And she did.

Slow and unsure, Emerald moved her arms to wrap around his neck, she sighed when he pulled away. Opening her eyes when she felt him resting his head against her’s. “Not how imagined our first date to go,” Alexander sighed before reaching down and grabbing one of the two baskets, grabbing her hand and pulled her to the back of the line.

Looking at their hands, his light skin molded around her slightly darker skin, the basket in his hand and then at him. Her heart started to speed up once more, moving her hand from his and instead wrapped her arm around his, leaning her head on his shoulder. “I hope you’re not going to pay for all the chocolate,” she smiled as they, together, stepped a couple of feet in the line.

“I was late, I pay,” Alexander said, “you can pay for diner.”

Emerald looked at his in surprise, “I think I should pay for half-”

“No, I got it.”

“But-”

“No.”

Pursing her lips, “If you say so,” she looked away, trying her best not to laugh when it was their turn. One basket, the one that Alexander took, came up to nearly fifty dollars and the second one, that she quickly placed on the counter and walked away, came up  _ just _ below sixty dollars. When clerk finished ringing up the chocolate, Emerald just  _ had  _ to look at Alexander and nearly lost it when he was staring in shock and horror at the final price. “I’ll buy diner, Alex, remember that.”

He gave his card to the clerk, the other man having to yank it out of Alexander’s tight grip, “It’ll be an expensive diner,” he promised.

Emerald laughed, grabbing some of the bags from the counter, thanking the clerk, and followed Alexander out of the store. “Not how you planned our first date would be?” she laughed, smiling ridiculously at all the free candy she got.

“Not at all,” he smiled back at her.

“Can’t wait for the next one.”

**End.**


End file.
